Threat of the Shadow Mage

SOON ASPEN BEGAN TO FEEL LONESOME AND DECIDED TO GET A HOLD of herself. She pulled herself up from the bed, and started downstairs. Seeing Auron in the den, she stopped once she got half way down. Taking a deep breath in and letting out through her mouth, Aspen then went into the den archway. Auron looked up from his book that he still hadn’t finished, and began to stand, but Aspen’s hand motion told him to stay. “Father. I’m sorry I haven’t spoken to you for a month out of me being hurt and angry. I’m sorry for bringing such a painful memory up, and I’m sorry for how I acted when I first got home that day. It was not of right knowledge or responsibility that I acted the way I did. I forgive you for not having said anything, and I forgive you for lying to me about how mother died. However, I have not come to just forgive you. May I have your forgiveness for all the actions I took?” Aspen asked with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Auron slightly cocked his head in sympathy with a loving look in his eyes. He stood, and wrapped his arms around his daughter who had become a wonderful young woman. Was it the silence that unlocked this trait of maturity in Aspen, or was it mere decision? He didn’t know, but he had also forgiven her. “I do forgive you’re my darling daughter.” Aspen closed her eyes, and tears fell. “I love you very much sweetheart, but I shouldn’t have kept all of what was told to myself all these years. I’m sorry, and I thank you for your forgiveness.” He pulled himself back, but still held her shoulders, and looked into her tear glazed eyes. “My only hope now is that this doesn’t affect you in relationships with others. You have so much ahead of you, and I want you to not let my mistake take all of that that awaits away.” Aspen nodded, and curled in his arms again as she placed her head on his chest. He cradled her for a long while, but as meal time came around, they became their cheerful, loving selves again.

“It seems that our poor boy is torn in two.” Kraizon told his lovely wife, Beatrice.

She looked up from her cutting board. “Oh? Why?” she asked.

“He told me that he’s having trouble with Aspen. He told her how he felt, and by the sound of it, she rejected Tex.”

Beatrice opened her mouth in shock. “Oh my, poor Tex. He must be heartbroken.” She put her knife down, and started to go to his room, but Kraizon stopped her by putting his arm out, and catching her. “Not so fast.” He teased as he pulled her in to be in front of him. “Oh you,” she played along, seeing what he was doing. Kraizon smirked in a loving way, but having been married to him for over 250 years, Beatrice knew that look too well. “Mm, what are you planning in that thick head of yours?” “Right now?” he asked, and Beatrice nodded. “Right now I’m thinking to give you a kiss.” Beatrice giggled softly, and gave him a kiss. “But what are you thinking really?”

“Huh, you always think I’m thinking of something other than what I tell you.”

“Mm-hmm. And I do so because I know you too well. You can’t hide anything from me.”

At this point, Tex had snuck through the hall and hid behind the wall before the opening to the kitchen to hear what it was they were talking about. “Alright fine, you win. You’ve got me.” Kraizon admitted.

Beatrice gave him an expression that said she was listening, and he continued. “Tex is of age now. He’s proven himself worthy, and his skill level tells me that he’s ready.”

“Are you sure about that, Kraizon? He’s still a boy.” Beatrice said with an unsteady tone. Kraizon just gave her a look.

“Beatrice, he’s 18 years of age. He’s an adult now. Besides…he proved himself at that challenge last month. I know he’s ready.”

Beatrice was silent for a moment as she sort of hung her head.

“What is it?”

“But is he mentally ready? Are you sure his body handle the change?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That sort of change hasn’t been done on a child of 18. Yes, it worked on…our late Orianna, and our dear Sophie, but they were both young when they changed.”

“My dear Beatrice,” he said tilting his head. “If Sophie can get through it, and she’s still with us, then Tex certainly can. Besides, when he does become a Shadow Mage, it will be easier for him to woo the ladies.” Beatrice playfully smacked his arm, and they both laughed.

Tex couldn’t believe his ears. What was said had been true. His sister, mother, and father were all Shadow Mages, and he hadn’t even suspected it. All these years, he had been blind to their abnormal activity, conversations, and puzzling riddles. He moved his eyes to and fro, searching for an explanation, but nothing came, so he fled back to his room, and climbed out the window. Tex ran as if to run from the truth, but no matter how far he ran, it echoed in his head and wouldn’t stay behind him. Sophie, however, had been standing up against the back door, picking petals off a flower, and saw him run off.

This, she thought, was curious, so she pushed herself up, and headed to the kitchen. Kraizon and Beatrice had already settled the matter, and were preparing the food for their mid-day meal. Beatrice heard her come in and quickly looked over, and back. “Hey Soph. What are you up to?” she asked. Sophie shrugged. “Oh nothing. I just thought it curious for big brother to be running off the way he did.” Both parents stopped and turned to face her in disbelief. “Run off? What do you mean?” “I mean I watched Tex climb out his window and bolt off as if he were scared of something; like he got spooked.” Sophie responded, and the two of them looked at each other before they went for the back door. Sophie just stayed put as they rushed passed her, and she leaned against the wall, resuming her activity.

Both Kraizon and Beatrice burst through the door, and stumbled into the back, scanning the terrain. Beatrice cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “Tex!”

Kraizon just yelled. “Tex!” but no matter where they looked, or how loud they cried, he was nowhere to be seen. “Hmm,” Kraizon thought for a minute to figure out why he would pull such a spontaneous action. Before he could grasp it, Beatrice said what he was concluding to. “You don’t think he heard us talking, do you?” Both their eyes widened, and they both knew what had to be done. Beatrice stepped down beside him as he prepared to leave. “Kraizon?” she said softly. He looked into her eyes.

“Be gentle about it. Please? I won’t stand another torturous transformation. You know how destructive the last one was.”

“I know dearest, but if I don’t do it quickly, word will get out, and we will all be in real danger. Do you understand?”

Beatrice nodded, and watched as he zoomed off into the distance with his wind causing her hair to move a little.

Tex ran faster, and faster, but was growing short of breath. He had a feeling he would soon be followed, but he needed a break. He then slowed up, and found a place to hide and catch his breath. Crouching behind some brush, and heaving heavily, he slowly began to breathe again; but then he heard something, and got quiet. It was his father.

Kraizon came to a halt, feeling the presence of another, and looked around.

“How’d he get…oh. Right.” Tex thought, remembering the extent of his family’s being. “Tex? You out here?”

He remained quiet, and tried to be as still as possible to try to not make a single sound.

“Don’t think you can hide, son.” Kraizon said as he looked toward Tex’s hiding spot. “I know you’re there.”

Tex realized that he couldn’t hide anymore, and he began to grow angry. A dim magenta line of light appeared from his collar bone, and traveled down his body as it changed his clothing. Once it reached the bottom, and disappeared, Tex created a plasma bolt. Kraizon saw the light, but wasn’t exactly sure if it was Tex, for he usually didn’t dare engage his own father.

Tex then sprang up from where he hid, and thrust the bolt at Kraizon. This caught Kraizon off guard, and he ended up flying back a ways. “Why did you keep yourself a secret? Why hadn’t you told me what you were? What the whole family was?” Tex yelled as he started to create another bolt and walk out from the brush. Before Kraizon could get up all the way, or even answer, Tex fired another plasma bolt at him, which just stunned and stung Kraizon. “You taught me the ways of the dark elves so that you could later turn me into the monster you are? You swore mom to secrecy, and kept Sophie, my younger sister, from telling me, and lied about how Orianna died?” He fired another one, and continued. Kraizon couldn’t do a thing, but listen and remain on the ground. “I will not let you turn me into a monster! I will not be given the same fate as my beloved sister! I will not let you have the world turn against me!” At this time, Kraizon had enough strength to fight back, and fired pure electricity at Tex.

He clutched his stomach as the pain shot through him, and Kraizon got up with fury in his eyes. “You dare engage your own father, Tex?”

Tex just stood there, still clutching himself, but looked up, still angry.

“So unwise.” Kraizon said before he lifted his hand above his head.

Tex remembered being in this position before, and focused hard to make that same shield he had made in the challenge against Aspen. He did so, and just in the nick of time, for Kraizon had shot something that would have severely injured, if not killed, him. The egg looking shield adapted to the color of the spell Kraizon had shot, but before he could put his guard back up Tex busted out of the crystal, and sent its shards directly at him. Two of them managed to pierce Kraizon’s right arm. Kraizon brought his other hand around, and grabbed his arm as pain shot through him, but he didn’t stay in that position for long, for he then brought up the good hand and shot another spell at Tex that stunned him long enough for him to get the shards out of his arm.

“It’s like that is it?” Kraizon asked.

“Yah. It’s like that.” Tex stood, and continued. “You ruined my mother’s life! You ruined my sisters’ lives! I am not your flesh and blood, and I know that is why you didn’t turn me into the creature you are when I was younger.” Kraizon stood his ground a moment. “Isn’t it?” Tex kind of yelled, and Kraizon answered. “Yes. Your mother had you before I met her, and I knew that having a new father was going to be difficult for you, but I also knew that you weren’t ready for the transformation that your mother went through on a personal level. So we agreed that I’d spare you until you proved otherwise.” “And judging by what I heard, you’ve decided that I’d done just that.” Realizing how ridiculous this all was, Kraizon began to shoot yet another spell at Tex, but Tex did so at the same time, and their spells collided which caused them to stream upward. Again, they began to fight; each of them occasionally hitting the other, but not fatally injuring one another.

As they got further into the fight, Kraizon remembered the extent of his powers, and decided to use them to confuse Tex. He shot into the air, leaving nothing but a mist where he previously stood. Tex looked into the mist, and then looked around. Whizzing sounds ran all around him, and Tex began to get confused, and a little scared. What was his father doing? Then, as the sounds grew faster, and louder, Tex started to adapt to Kraizon’s speed. Soon, he could see where he was running, and where he came from. Tex watched carefully, and right as Kraizon began to pass him, Tex grabbed his wrist, and made Kraizon hit the ground with his chest.

Kraizon was amazed and surprised. Where had this talent come from? Tex twisted his arm and quickly placed it on the high of his back - almost breaking it in the process. Yes it was painful, but Kraizon didn’t let Tex know that. “Do you yield, father? Or should I even call you that?” Tex asked in a tone that told him that he was about to make a move.

Kraizon didn’t dare move, for fear of loss of limb, but he thought if he could distract Tex by letting off smoke, then he’d have a chance of winning. The ends of his cloak shortened a bit as the edges became smoky. Tex noticed this, and looked around, wondering what was happening. Seeing the window of opportunity opened, Kraizon quickly turned, and sliced Tex’s forearm. “Ah!” Tex shouted as he fell backward, holding his arm. Kraizon quickly made his way to his side, and covered his mouth as he forced his head down.

Tex struggled to get out of this position, but Kraizon’s strength was too much. He tried biting him, but it seemed that he was immune to it for he didn’t react and let go. The pain from the cut in his arm seemed to worsen, and Tex could feel something run through his body that made the pain all the more worse. Before the last moment came, Tex created a spell under his body, and the light from it was brighter than usual. Kraizon saw this and didn’t know what to think. The light got brighter, and brighter, and the pain seemed to lessen. Tex slowly lifted his head, but not in resistance. His eyes were discolored, and with one last change of brightness, a shockwave burst from Tex’s inner being, which forced both of them in different directions. Kraizon hit a tree, and Tex landed in the brush he was in before. Both of them falling unconscious.

Meanwhile, Beatrice still stood in the back of the house, having watched all the lights, and hearing the shouts and screams. Not seeing or hearing anything now, however, she grew worried. What had happened? “Is my baby hurt? Is Kraizon alright?” she thought franticly. She wanted to go and check on them, but something held her back. It was Soph. “Don’t do it mom. You know what dad’ll say if you go out there.” She knew it, and she knew Sophie was right. So they waited far into the afternoon, but there was still no sign of either of them.